Of Bows and Brothers
by ZeldaDragon
Summary: This is dedicated to Adromir, and uses one of her characters. Legolas is having a rough day and his brother helps to brighten his mood.


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This story is dedicated entirely to Adromir, the amazing author of the _Manyan Series_. Keldarion belongs to her, being her own marvelous creation.

I guess this could be read alone, although it would make more sense if read as an accompaniment to Adromir's stories, which can be accessed through her bio page, listed under my Favorite Authors.

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Disclaimer: Thranduil and Legolas belong to Tolkien, and Kel belongs (of course) to Adromir.

Happy (belated) Birthday, Adromir!

In this story, Legolas is going to be the elvish equivalent of five, while Kel is to be that of about 17 or so.

"Kel! Look out!" Beraidêl, the master of arms for the learning soldiers (and royals) of Mirkwood, called out in dismay. 

The crown prince glanced up from polishing his two knives just in time to duck back down again as an arrow zipped over his head, catching a few raven colored hairs on the tip, and embedded itself at the bottom of a tree trunk. Keldarion raised his head, eyes wide, and stared at Beraidêl. "What was that?"

The arms master rushed over to his prince. "Are you all right?" He reached down to the young elf to help him stand.

"I'm fine, fine..." Kel brushed the dirt from his once clean tunic. "Now what was that?"

"Your brother, that's what." Beraidêl gestured to the younger prince, who was staring at the ground on the other side of the archery range, trying to hide his bow behind his back. The strange thing was, the targets he should have been aiming at were far to Keldarion's right. 

"I'm sorry, Kel!" Legolas called from where he was standing, sheepishly meeting his older brother's eyes. 

As much as the crown prince wanted to be angry with the young elf, he couldn't bring himself to be so. "It's all right, brat. Just try to aim for the actual targets next time!" Beraidêl patted the dark haired elf's shoulder and walked back to his charge after retrieving the arrow from the tree.

Kel watched his little brother struggle with his bow for a few more minutes before turning and going up the path leading to his home.

~*~

All was quiet in the palace, seeing as how only one of the two mischievous siblings was walking through the halls. Keldarion wandered aimlessly, looking for something to do. Legolas had not yet returned from his archery lesson, which should have ended nearly two hours ago. But this didn't worry the prince; his brother was known for running through the woods, finding small animals in need of healing. The boy loved animals, and at this moment was hiding a chipmunk in his room hoping to keep her as a pet. Chippy, he called her.

Kel shook his head. He loved his brother dearly, but sometimes he could be very annoying. The child prince seemed to have a knack for finding trouble or wrecking havoc (sometimes doing both) everywhere he went. Thranduil almost always had someone looking after his youngest son when he was unable to himself, like today. At the moment, the king was in a very important meeting with a group of men from a land Kel had never heard of.

"Ah! There you are, highness!" Celebanna, an older servant in the household, quickly made her way over to him. "Your father requests your presence for dinner, as well as that of Legolas, where ever he may be," She glanced about, as though the little 'monster' would jump out from behind one of the pillars.

"Thank you," Kel smiled at the nearly ancient elf, biting back his laughter at her actions. The servant smiled back and turned for the kitchens. After she was out of sight, the prince's smile faded. Where was Legolas?

~*~

The frustrated prince wiped a tear from his face and sat down on a fallen tree. The cold wind whipped his blond hair around his face. Angrily, he shoved the silky strands behind his pointed ear, only to find that the braid they had been in had come loose, letting all his hair down to be played with by the breezes.

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Nothing ever goes right for me! Legolas thought miserably, his blue eyes watering more. _Why is it that Kel can do everything, while I can't even shoot a blasted bow, much less keep my _hair _braided?_

The young prince had come from his archery lesson, where he nearly took out the other elflings learning fighting techniques. He just couldn't understand what he was doing wrong. He looked down the trail to where he had thrown his bow and quiver in a pricker bush. What was he to do? Everyone expected him to be such a skilled warrior, like his father and brother, and he couldn't even shoot an arrow at a target twenty paces away, much less pick up a sword! He felt weak and insignificant when compared to the wonderful Keldarion. How was he to compete with that? He knew that he was special in another way, being a _manyan _healer with his mother's blood running through his veins, but he was no warrior.

Legolas sniffed and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. He wished to be alone, and knew that now was a good time; he had told Beraidêl that he was going back to his rooms to rest, so there was no reason for the elf to believe otherwise. Although the lessons ended a while ago, no one would notice his disappearance, and that was exactly what he wanted. Or at least, that's what he _thought _he wanted. What he _needed _was something else entirely.

Wiping his face again with his sleeve, he stood and glanced around the clearing he was standing in. Content that he was alone, he turned and climbed the nearest tree.

~*~

"Legolas?" Keldarion looked into his brother's room, hoping to find him there. He was met with an empty chamber. The crown prince sighed in angry frustration. _Where in all Middle-earth is that brat? _he thought to himself. _What kind of trouble has he gotten into now?_

Kel had looked everywhere for Legolas, with no luck. He was not in the library or the kitchens, nor was he in his room. From the large window on the wall opposite the door, he could see that the blonde prince was not out in the practice field. Perhaps he was in the stables? The horses and cats always seemed to enjoy the youngster's presence. Kel walked quickly from the living quarters to the stables, trying to look innocent; "There's nothing wrong here." his appearance seemed to be saying. But his heart contradicted with his mind. His brother was missing, and it was up to him to locate the boy. 

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Wonderful, he sighed again as he reached the stable and found no trace of Legolas, _I have to play baby-sitter and find him. And now of all times! Father is going to be very angry!_

Going on a hunch, Keldarion left the stables and headed for the woods near the archery range. Walking in the shade of the thickly leaved trees, he called, "Legolas?" He was met with silence, save the noise of the woodland animals as they moved about around him.

He went further into the woods, soon leaving the trail and going where ever his feet took him. He could sense his brother somewhere close by, but had no idea where the boy was. As Kel walked on, something caught his eye. A bow and quiver, the arrows spilled all about, had been thrown into a bush. On closer inspection, the raven haired elf saw that the bush had thorns. Deciding not to reach for the weapon lest he scratch himself in the process, he kept going. His brother was close.

"Legolas!"

~*~

The young prince heard his brother calling him, but he was a distance away. Legolas sighed, brushing away the last of his tears, and laid back against the trunk of the tree. He had climbed a ways up, and the ground was far below. A small family of squirrels had come to sit beside him, feeling his sorrow, and the tree itself seemed to wrap it's branches around the little elf in sympathy.

Through the cluster of leaves, Legolas could see the sun sinking below the horizon, bringing with it the warmth of the day. The clouds had turned a light pink, fading to a purple to a deep blue. A few stars already dotted the sky opposite the retreating light, though there would be no moon tonight.

A light breeze shook the leaves around him and brought his brother's strained voice to his ears. "Legolas?" he was calling, "Legolas, please come out. I know you're out here somewhere, and I will find you; make it easy on yourself and come out now." Kel's voice became softer as he stepped into the field. "Come, Legolas. Please."

Something in his brother's voice pulled at Legolas's heart. "I am here, Kel," he said quietly, "Here,"

"And where would 'here' be?" Keldarion questioned. He was again met with silence. The wind rustled through the leaves on the nearby trees , and with it came a soft sob. "Legolas?"

Legolas held his breath as Kel came to stand beneath his tree. The squirrels scattered when the dark haired elf neared. 

The noise above caused the crown prince to glance up. There was his brother, pressed back against the trunk of the huge oak tree, leafy branches surrounding him, nearly obscuring the small elf from view. "What are you _doing _up there? You might fall! Come down here!"

"No!" Legolas stated stubbornly. 

"Do not make me come get you," Keldarion warned.

"You can if you wish to, although you'd never get me." With that, the blonde climbed higher into the tree.

"Legolas! Come back!" Kel jumped onto the lowest branch and slowly made his way up. This was going to be difficult; the little elf was a master at climbing trees.

What Kel didn't know was that yes, Legolas had gone higher, but once he saw his brother start after him, he turned and climbed back down. He waited silently until Kel had passed him before he kept going down. Once he was a few branches up, he jumped from the tree and ran. 

Keldarion had seen his brother run off deeper into the woods and nearly screamed in rage. "Brat! Get back here!" He climbed down and gave chase.

Legolas ran as fast as he could, but his brother soon caught up with him. Thinking quickly, Kel jumped at the boy. Legolas gasped in surprise as he and his brother tumbled to the ground. Immediately the young elf kicked out in retaliation, not thinking about his actions. His small foot made contact with Kel's leg.

"Stop!" Keldarion cried as his brother struggled beneath him, trying to free himself. "Legolas, stop! All is well, I won't hurt you!" Legolas calmed slightly and Kel released him. Startled, the crown prince saw tears in his brother's eyes. "Whatever is the matter?"

Legolas didn't say a word.

"Stubborn elf..." Kel shook his head. "Father requests us for dinner, although that was quite a while ago. I fear we may not be welcomed back very warmly; the meal shall be nigh over. Come," He turned and began walking in the direction of their home, but noticed that his brother was not following. "Legolas?"

The blonde elf was still sitting on the ground, legs pulled up to his chest, chin resting on his knees. Keldarion knelt beside his brother. "What is wrong, brother? Come, tell me. Maybe I can help."

Legolas tried to hold his silence, but it was difficult. After a moment, he gave in and spoke. "I...I can't do anything right!" He ducked his head, ashamed at his confession. "Nothing at all. But you...you are perfect."

"Perfect?" Kel repeated, stunned. "Why do you think that?"

Legolas sniffed, but continued. "You know how to wield a sword, and knives. You are a wonderful archer." He shook his head. "But I can do none of these things."

The crown prince would have laughed out loud if it had not been such a serious moment. "Oh, Legolas," He placed his fingers under his brother's chin, lifting the blue eyes to his own. "I am far from perfect."

Legolas's brow furrowed. "In what way?"

"I do not do well in any of my studies, much to Father's annoyance. I can not make arrows nearly as fast, nor as well, as any of the other warriors." Kel moved his fingers from his brother's chin and placed both hands on Legolas's cheeks. "But the most obvious of my flaws is this: I have not the heart you have. You are so compassionate towards every living being you have come across, and you bring joy to all who have ever met you. I have quite a temper, and can not seem to open myself to people as you can. _You _are the one who is perfect, Legolas, not I."

Legolas smiled and Kel drew him into his arms. The younger leaned into his brother's warm embrace. "I may be a good warrior, but you should have seen me when I was your age. It was quite a disaster; I was worse off that you are now!" Kel laughed. "Everyone was frightened of me," 

Legolas snickered. "If you were worse off than I am now, I wonder what I shall be like when I am _your _age!" He grinned, but did not leave his brother's arms. "Perhaps I will be the best archer in all Middle-earth."

Keldarion stroked the young elf's hair and rested his chin on Legolas's head. "It would not surprise me in the least. Now what do you say we go rescue your bow from that bush and I give you a little lesson. You have been holding the bow wrong, and I am sure that once that is fixed you will have a better shot." 

Legolas pulled out of his brother's arms and stood, smiling. "I would like that,"

"All right, then." Kel stood as well and laid his arm across his brother's shoulders. 

But before they could get very far, a loud shout echoed through the woods, causing the birds to scatter elsewhere. "Boys!" It was Thranduil.

The brothers glanced at each other and smiled widely. Their father was angry, and they were sure to get a lecture about the unprince-like behavior of missing dinner.

"You know," Kel said quietly, "There is a way home around the river. Why don't we go that way to avoid Father and retreat to our rooms? The bow can wait another day."

"Sounds good to me," Legolas said. 

After glancing down the trail, they fled in the opposite direction.

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The End

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I hope that was enjoyable. I have always adored the brotherly love Adromir has created between theses two characters.

~ For those of you reading one of my other stories (_Rozenwyn _and/or _Little Things_), I should have an update on them within the next few weeks. Thanks for your patience! =P

Now stop readin' this and go read something by Adromir!


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